Seasonal Affective Disorder poses problems

The sun is setting earlier and the temperature is dropping. The “winter blues” could be something more serious: a mood disorder known as Seasonal Affective Disorder.

To understand SAD, one must first understand serotonin, a neurotransmitter that allows a person to feel pleasure. If someone has a deficiency in serotonin, they are unable to feel pleasure, even if good things happen.

A person who suffers from SAD has a “genetic predisposition” to deplete their supply of serotonin too quickly, according to Dr. BJ Fratzke, Division Chair of Behavioral Sciences. She likens SAD to sucking a milkshake through a straw. A person without SAD uses a normal straw to make his milkshake last the whole winter, while a person with SAD would be sucking his through a wider straw and using up his supply of serotonin milkshake within two or three days.

The body creates serotonin from sunlight.

“[With SAD], you could use up all your serotonin on the first grey day, and it’s depleted for the following grey days until there is sunlight again,” said Fratzke.

Fratzke has suffered from SAD since she was a child. She remembers that while others were admiring the fall colors, she would point to a completely bare tree and dread the ominous winter months.

“It doesn’t matter where you live,” said Fratzke. People can be affected by SAD in any climate, but those who live in the Midwest are more likely to have symptoms.

The symptoms are similar to depression: lack of energy, oversleeping, appetite changes, loss of interest, weight gain, hopelessness and anxiety, according to MayoClinic.com. The main difference between SAD and depression is that SAD is instantly cured by sunlight.

Sufferers like Fratzke see great results from light therapy. A special kind of light that has high levels of light rays is used to provide synthetic sunlight. This lamp is unlike tanning because it does not harm the skin. Dr. Betsye Robinette, Professor of Psychology, suggests shining it on the backs of the knees, where the skin is thinnest.

Exercise is another way to combat SAD. Regular exercise helps to relieve stress and anxiety, as well as help you feel better about yourself, all of which boosts your mood.

Other home remedies include making your environment sunnier and brighter, being outside for at least ten minutes each day or planning outings with encouraging and happy friends, according to Mayo Clinic staff.

Robinette swears that chocolate will help cure SAD, and it does increase serotonin, but “only slightly.”

Fratzke employs laugh therapy. She has a program on her computer of a giggling baby. On a particularly grey day, the baby’s laughter can be heard in the Behavioral Sciences office, and is contagious among the faculty.

Some doctors recommend taking Vitamin D, which Fratzke refers to as the “sunshine vitamin.” Vitamin D is created when sunlight hits the skin, but it can also be taken orally or found in a handful of foods, including D-fortified milk, sardines, and salmon.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 8:00 AM and is filed under News.
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